Family Bonds
by shiningxstardrops
Summary: When Ryoma reveals that there was another person who taught him tennis, and that person reveals herself, chaos follows. And behind all the teasing, what is the true reason for the person's arrival in Japan?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay. Hello people! Please read and review! XD

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"Looks like I win again, Momo-senpai," Ryoma taunted, his trademark smirk plastered on his face. He slung his red racket over his shoulder and lazily strolled towards the benches to his tennis bag.

"Oi, Echizen! It isn't fair! You can't do that, you can't!" Ryoma stopped in his tracks, cocked his head to the side, and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What's not fair?"

"You have more moves, brat! You should disable at least half of them," Momo protested.

"Che. Its not my fault you're not creative enough to get as many moves as me."

"What was that?"

"Saa, saa-Momo, looks like you lost to Echizen again, mm?"

Momo turned his head and saw Fuji walk towards them, having finished his match with Kawamura. He grinned sheepishly.

"Nya! I bet O-chibi would lose to a game of doubles, though!" Eiji teased as he glomped Oishi, and the two made their way over to the forming group. Oishi smiled softly, prying himself gently from Eiji's strangling grasp.

"Eiji, don't be so sure," he warned.

"Eh? Why?? O-chibi may be good at singles, but he sucks at doubles! And we're the Golden Pair, Golden Pair nya!"

Eiji puffed his chest up.

"Which is exactly why you must train twice as hard to maintain your status," a spine-tingling voice spoke from behind.

Eiji forced himself to look behind him. He jumped as he saw Inui there, holding a glass vial up, filled to the middle with a _bubbling _pink liquid.

"Inui, nya! Don't scare me like that!"

"W-What is that?" Momo pointed accusingly at the vial.

"Oh, this? Its my Ultra Super Inui Stamina Remix. It should heighten your stats-Eiji, this was made especially for you," Inui drawled, smiling as he pushed forward the vial into Eiji's trembling hands. His glasses glinted dangerously.

"NYA! Oishi, save me!" Eiji sprang up and tossed the glass container in the air as he ran to hide behind his doubles partner.

Inui's mouth gaped open as he jumped to catch the falling vial; however, it flew beyond his reach.

Eyes followed the flying vial and mouths opened as the glass prepared to meet its doom in the concrete floor below.

Secretly, a thought flew over a majority of the regulars' minds: 'Thank goodness…'

But that dream was shattered as a hand shot out to catch it right before it hit the floor. The hand snatched the pink liquid, and held it slightly above the owner's head.

"Worrying for this?" a feminine voice asked.

Waist length black hair was put up in a high ponytail, bangs and a few loose strands hanging down. The hand that didn't hold the horrifying liquid was placed against a slim waist. Gray eyes shined with mirth, lips put up in a daunting smirk. The girl wore a pleated pink skirt, with a hooded white shirt. Ruby crosses hung from delicate ears.

"Ryoma, you have a strange taste in teammates," the girl stuck out her tongue, winking.

Heads turned towards the youngest member of the Seigaku tennis team.

"Echizen, you know her?"

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"Ahh, this tea is _good. _Sensei, where'd you get it?"

"Mia, stop avoiding the subject. Why are you in Japan?" Ryuuzaki-sensei repeated for the tenth time in the last ten minutes.

The two females were seated in her office, one looking sternly the other in the eyes, while the other, relaxed and in a lenient position sunk into the blue sofa. Mia's lean legs were crossed, and her right hand twiddled with one of the three small black rings that attached ruby crosses to her ear.

"I'm here on a secret undercover mission. Sorry-its confidential, so I can't tell you-ow!" Mia yelped when hit over the head with a rolled up newspaper with the headline:

"**Asian Junior Tennis Champion Sasaki Mia Flies from America to Japan!"**

"What?! OW!" Mia scooted to the other end of the sofa to escape the tennis coach.

"Mia-if I'm correct, you should be in Texas, participating in a tennis tournament, the quarter-finals. What are you doing in Japan?!"

"My long-lost sister was found and I just had to come over here and-ouch!"

Ryuuzaki-sensei held the rolled up paper in her hand firmly, eyes narrowing.

"Mia, I'm warning you-"

"Okay, okay-gosh! Sensei, did you know that you have a balding spot-"

"MIA!" Ryuuzaki-sensei roared.

"Hai!" Mia sat up straight, and her eyes drifted to the side, glancing outside the window.

"I'm here to take Ryoma back. With or without his family."

"What? Mia, what are you talking about?"

"Shiya's condition is getting worse and worse."

Ryuuzaki-sensei's mouth closed in a firm line.

"Is that so? But its Ryoma-kun's decision whether to go back or not-not yours, nor Shiya's, Mia. You may feel indebted to your family, but you're not taking away Ryoma's happiness just for your grief to end."

"Whatever. Ow! What was that for?!"

"Just felt like it."

"SENSEI!!!"

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"Saa, Echizen, who was that girl?"

"Just a family friend."

"You sure? She seemed to like you enough," Momo slyly smirked.

"Fshhhh." Kaidoh turned bright pink in color.

"Senpai, just because Tachibana's little sister showed a little interest in you doesn't mean you can go around teasing your kohai so you can share perverse thoughts with him," Ryoma deadpanned.

"Hehh, Momo, I didn't know you liked a girl," Fuji mused.

Now it was Momo's turn to flush.

"I don't like her! And she doesn't like me! And I don't have perverse thoughts-and one more thing-her name's Ann, Echizen, not Tachibana's little sister!"

"You're so passionate with your love, Momo-senpai. Look at you-you're even on the verge of ripping apart your precious kohai," Ryoma smirked.

Momo gaped, opening and closing his mouth. Unable to utter a sound, he ended up looking like a red goldfish.

"Like I said-Ryoma, you have a weird taste in teammates."

Eight heads turned around and were met with a sight of a girl with an eye closed, a hand placed leisurely on her hip. Sasaki Mia.

"Mia-nee-chan." Ryoma nodded.

"Saa-its been what-three years?"

"Its been three months actually. I went to America three months ago-don't you remember? And you gave me this bruise," Ryoma stated as he lifted up his shirt up slightly and a slightly red-tinged mark was revealed.

"Shut up, brat. I was trying to make it interesting. Besides, you got that on your own. It ain't my fault I accidentally dropped that orange."

"You didn't _drop _it. You _hurled _it at me when I called your dog fat."

"Shut up, brat! Sheesh-you have so many complaints."

"Che."

"Well, in any case, its been a long time. How about giving nee-chan a match? Hm?"

The girl's smile wiped off her face when roars of laughter engulfed the courts, courtesy of Eiji and Momo, with slight chuckles from Oishi and Fuji, a smirk from Kaidoh and Inui. Kawamura worriedly smiled.

"What?"

"Y-You…p-p-pl-play a match…with E-Echizen?"

More guffaws surrounded the courts.

"T-There's no chance you'll even last a minute, nya!" Ejii laughed.

"Hm? You sure?"

"Positive!"

"Eiji-just wait a minute. What was your name again?" Inui asked, flipping open his notebook.

"Sasaki Mia."

"Sasaki Mia. Sign: Gemini.

D.O.B: May 27th.

Eyes: Gray/Onyx.

Hair Color: Raven Black.

Current age: 15.

Weight: 98 lbs.

Height: 72.65 inches.

Hobbies: Reading manga, watching sappy romance movies, annoying-ahem, pestering-people, and playing tennis.

Favorite Food: Virtually everything commonly eaten.

Shoe size: 5.75 feet.

Status: Currently the top female junior tennis player in age division amongst Asia and North America. Attends Winchester's Academy for Athleticism in America, more accurately, Maryland. Directly in line to receive the heritage of the Sasaki Group."

"B-but you're a girl!" Momo remained stubborn.

"Heh. Look-you all probably think the old man built Ryoma on his own-WRONG-O. Sure, his moves and trademark smirk and all is his…but his speed and stamina? All moi. He may have developed his moves on his own, but everyone knows-I built this kid."

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hello! Thank you for reading and please review!

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"One set match! Sasaki-to serve!"

Fuji seated atop the umpire's seat gazed curiously down at the two people on the court.

A slender hand bounced the yellow ball on the ground, once; twice. Throwing it up in the air, she leaned back.

When she slammed the ball forward, it flew into the other court at an unbelievable speed.

"15-love."

Aqua eyes opened, and mouths dropped open.

"Maa maa, Ryoma-getting lazy, are we?"

Smirking slightly, Mia bounced the ball once more.

She threw it up; the ball once again flew into the opposite side, this time, at a lower speed.

Ryoma jumped in the ball's path, slamming it back with both hands.

"Ryoma-you should try to end it soon-you know what happened the last time," Mia teased as she lobbed it back.

Smirking broadly, the boy jumped into the air. He spun once, hitting it down with incredible force; the Cyclone Smash.

The ball whizzed by Mia's ear, the breeze jingling her earrings.

Her eyes widened.

A smile slowly spread over her face.

"Suge! Ryoma, teach me that later!"

"Yadda."

"Che. Here goes," Mia grunted as she threw the ball once more into the air.

"MIA! RYOMA!" A feline voice roared.

Wincing, Mia ducked her head as the ball hit her head on the way down. She flinched even more as Ryuuzaki-sensei strode towards the two tennis players.

"Mia! What do you think you're doing?! Its their practice time! Ryoma-go and practice! Mia-go home already!"

"Hah? Why?" Mia whined, frowning. She grasped her borrowed racket tightly in her right hand, turning up her nose.

She received a thwack in the head.

"Itai! Sensei, wha-"

"Mia, I'm warning you-besides, Nanjiroh called. He wants you home. Now."

"Fine. Hmph. Ryoma, see you later!"

Ryoma choked on his water.

She was staying at his house?! Damn.

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"I'm home," Ryoma called as he kicked off his shoes in front of the door.

"Welcome home, Ryoma-san," Nanako called from the kitchen.

A smirk from his father.

A warm smile from his mother.

Tired eyes half lidded, he trudged up the stairs. Upon reaching his room, he pushed open the wooden door, throwing himself on the bed.

He waited, but no paws gently hopped on his back, or his bed. No furry tail brushed his head. No 'mreow!' was uttered.

Frowning, he got up.

"Karupin?"

Silence.

He sat up on his bed, and stared at the slightly agape door as footsteps were heard.

The door was flung open, and a figure entered the room.

"Yo, Ryoma! Have a nice time at school?"

Ryoma groaned silently.

"Karupin's out back playing with Skipper."

Ryoma's golden eyes shot open.

"Skipper? As in, your dog, Skipper?!" Ryoma shrieked.

"Dude, Ryoma, chill-no need to scream like a girl-you're cat's fine-"

But Mia never got to finish as Ryoma had dashed out of the room at a break-neck speed-all for a Himalayan cat.

Ryoma thrust open the back door, eyes frantically searching for his beloved cat.

'Karupin…'

"Karupin!" Ryoma called, heart racing.

"Mreow."

Turning around, the boy caught a ball of fluff in his arms.

"Geez, Ryoma-I was about to tell you! Skipper was in dog-training these past few months, so he's learned to heel and everything-and he won't hurt your cat. God."

The young prodigy turned around again to face Mia, who was kneeling by her golden retriever. The dog had a blue satin bow around its neck, crystal black eyes shining.

"What the hell-I thought your dog was a boy, nee-chan," Ryoma mused.

"Skipper is a boy," Mia huffed indignantly.

"Are you an idiot? Why does your dog has a bow around its neck?!"

"Cuz its cute. That's why."

Ryoma rolled his eyes.

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"Training camp?"

"Ah. There was an invitation in the mail today, and some other schools are attending as well," Ryuuzaki-sensei explained.

"All regulars, gather on Saturday morning, 6 A.M. sharp in front of the school-understand?"

"Hai!"

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**Saturday, 9:00 A.M….**

The Hyotei regulars strolled to their designated spot, Hanamura-sensei cleared her throat.

"To our knowledge, all the participating teams have gathered, so I will now begin the introductions. Mr. Levoy has allowed us to participate in this camp, on a certain player's behalf-that person will not be revealed. The coaches participating are Ryuuzaki-sensei, Sakaki-sensei, Banji-sensei, and myself. The schools whom have been invited are Jyosei Shounan, Seigaku, St. Rudolph, Yamabuki, and Hyotei. The rooming lists will be posted in the next few minutes after Ryuuzaki-sensei finishes the rest of the introductions."

Handing the microphone to Seigaku's coach, Hanamura-sensei retreated back into line with the other coaches.

"Again, we have six volunteers, all freshman," Ryuuzaki-sensei stated as she gestured towards Ann, Sakuno, Tomoyo, Horio, Kachiro and Katsuo.

"But this time, we also have a sub-coach who'll help you all improve your stamina and speed. Her name is Sasaki Mia-I'm sure most of you've heard of her before."

A girl stepped out of the shadows, grinning.

Mia's hair was put in a pigtail to the side of her head, long hair streaming down next to her waist. She wore a jean jacket with matching pants, and a white, one-sleeved shirt that reached just above her belly button.

"Hi," she sang.


End file.
